No aye for Harold seekers

Chichester diocese has refused permission to excavate a medieval tomb in a Sussex church to see whether it contains the bones of Harold, the last Saxon king, who was killed at the battle of Hastings in 1066.

After a hearing last month at Holy Trinity church, Bosham, the diocesan chancellor, Mark Hill, said in a written adjudication issued yesterday that it was highly unlikely that Harold was buried there.

The king is shown in the Bayeux tapestry visiting Bosham in 1064, but historians believe he was probably buried secretly at Waltham in Essex.

Archaeologists and the vicar and church wardens of All Saints applied for permission to excavate two ancient graves under the nave. One, uncovered in the 19th century, belonged to an eight-year-old girl who may have been the daughter of King Canute.

The other, opened in 1954 when a new floor was laid, held part of the remains of a man. Three people claiming descent from Harold provided DNA samples to see whether they matched that in the bones. The publicity given to the hearing has brought several other claims of kinship with Harold.

But comparison would have to be with the bones of Harold's direct ancestors, including his father, who is buried in Winchester cathedral.

It is possible to extract DNA from bones up to 2,000 years old but a scientist consulted by the inquiry said he had only managed to obtain a successful match with bones no older than 60 years.

The report says the bones were those of a man in his sixties, whereas Harold was 44.